Plouffe leads Twins over Angels 6-3

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)

Staring down the wrong end of history, the Minnesota Twins would
much rather have seen a pitcher other than Jered Weaver, who no-hit
them in 2012 and dominated them most recently on July 24.

Yet the Twins did just enough against their nemesis to beat the
Los Angeles Angels 6-3 on Monday night, ending a 10-game home
losing streak and avoiding the worst such skid since the franchise
started in Washington in 1901.

''We all know we've lost a few ballgames in a row here at
home,'' Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. ''The people that showed
up here were rooting pretty hard, and our guys were playing pretty
hard, too. Big win.''

Only 21,826 were officially registered as paying customers, the
smallest crowd since Target Field opened for the 2010 season. Fewer
than that actually showed up on a hot, humid night, but they saw
Trevor Plouffe go 2 for 3 and drive in the tying and go-ahead runs,
and rookie Josmil Pinto hit three doubles.

Casey Fien (4-2) struck out two in a scoreless seventh for the
victory, and Glen Perkins pitched the ninth for his 33rd save in 37
chances.

Plouffe's two-run, two-out double in the fifth inning off Weaver
tied the game 3-3, and his bases-loaded sacrifice fly off Cory
Rasmus (0-1) in the seventh made it 4-3.

Plouffe, hitting .329 in 21 games since Aug. 18, had a 2-2 count
when he dumped a line drive into short center field to score Pinto
and Ryan Doumit in the fifth. He entered the game hitting .182 (2
for 11) in 14 plate appearances against Weaver.

''You've got a good pitcher on the hill there that's really had
our number,'' Plouffe said. ''He got two strikes on me, then it's
just battle mode. He's got that good cutter and changes speeds on
it. I was kind of looking for that, trying to lay off the pitch he
rides up and in on me. I was able to get enough bat on the ball to
get it out there.''

''I made a pretty good pitch to Plouffe there, and he kind of
stuck out his bat and hit it up the middle,'' Weaver said.
''Sometimes you're going to get guys out and sometimes you're
not.''

Plouffe added a sacrifice fly to medium right field in the
seventh. Kole Calhoun made a nice throw home, but Brian Dozier
slipped his hand under the tag of catcher Chris Iannetta.

Playing a makeup game for an April 17 rainout, the Angels
continue their longest trip of the season - nine games - on Tuesday
in Toronto. They also play three-game series at Houston and
Oakland.

Weaver made his fourth straight quality start for the Angels,
allowing three earned runs, nine hits and two walks in six innings.
In their last meeting, the Twins managed just two hits over eight
innings in a 1-0 loss on July 24, and then there was the no-hitter
on May 2, 2012.

The right-hander entered Monday's game with an 8-2 record and
3.28 ERA in 14 career starts against Minnesota.

''I started to tighten up there in the third or fourth and got
through the sixth, and (manager Mike) Scioscia didn't want to push
me anymore, which is understandable,'' Weaver said. ''It's nothing
concerning, just the hot-and-humid air and losing a lot of fluids
and stuff. It just started to tighten up a little bit, but it's not
a concern.''

Rasmus (0-1) loaded the bases in the seventh on a walk, a
fielder's choice and a single before Plouffe's sacrifice fly. Pedro
Florimon drew a bases-loaded walk off Buddy Boshers to drive in
another run, and Doumit capped it with an RBI single in the
eighth.

On the way to a third straight 90-loss season, the Twins weren't
eager to set another futility record. They already have broken the
team's season record for strikeouts (1,222 and counting), so
avoiding a 114-year record for a home losing streak has to be a
relief.

''I knew we hadn't been playing well, and it's a concern for us,
obviously,''? Plouffe said. ''We want to win as many games as
possible, even if we're out of (playoff contention). It's just who
we are as a team; we're not just going to lie down.''

NOTES: After the game, the Angels optioned INF Tommy Field to
Triple-A Salt Lake, which starts a playoff series against Omaha on
Tuesday. ... Angels 2B Howie Kendrick, out since Aug. 6 because of
a hyperextended left knee, could be available as soon as Tuesday in
Toronto, Scioscia said. Kendrick was injured after colliding with a
teammate while chasing a pop fly. ... The Angels recalled C John
Hester before Tuesday night's game. ... With his RBI double in the
fourth, has an RBI in 12 of his past 13 games. ... The Twins will
use a six-man rotation for the final month of the season,
Gardenhire said. They added September callup LHP Scott Diamond to
the rotation. ... The Twins added Diamond, INF Eduardo Escobar,
OF/1B Chris Parmelee, RHP Shairon Martis and C Eric Fryer to the
expanded roster after Rochester lost its International League
playoff series on Sunday. To make room on the roster, the Twins
placed RHP Samuel Deduno (shoulder) and OF Wilkin Ramirez (broken
leg). ... Twins C Joe Mauer, on the DL because of a concussion
suffered Aug. 19, took batting practice.

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